Bistro 82 and Sabrage to open in Royal Oak

Aaron F. Belen of AFB Hospitality Group purchased the 9,500-square-foot former Sangria property at the corner of Lafayette and Fourth Street in Royal Oak and has his sights set on making it into one of the most exceptional restaurants to hit the metro Detroit area. (For the Daily Tribune/TOM WATTS)

An innovative combination of a French bistro and nightclub is coming to Royal Oak in the fall.

Aaron F. Belen of AFB Hospitality Group purchased the now 9,500-square-foot former Sangria property at the corner of Lafayette and 4th Street and has his sights set on making it into one of the most exceptional restaurants to hit the metro Detroit area.

He is building a restaurant with two unique concepts: a French bistro on the first floor called Bistro 82 and an ultra-lounge on the second floor called Sabrage.

“We want this hospitality development to inspire others to reinvent themselves in the city of Royal Oak and create a domino effect to have more people do what we’re doing in the area of hospitality and development,” Belen said.

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Bistro 82 will include a 22-foot bar top made of black onyx.

“To have a 22-foot bar built of black onyx is unique in itself,” Belen said. “We are not focused on going over the top; rather, we want to build something exceptional and outside the box.”

By comparison, Sabrage on the second floor will include a bar top made of white onyx.

“For Sabrage I wanted to create an ultra-lounge, which is between a lounge and a nightclub,” Belen said. “We want to cater to the 30-plus crowd. We are not promoter-driven, but rather a cosmopolitan place to go where a mature, sophisticated crowd can feel comfortable.”

Belen said the Bistro 82 concept is inspired by the Bordeaux, France region, which produces some of the world’s great wines.

“The 1982 Bordeaux wine — that year was a great year,” Belen, 30, noted. “It also happens to be my birth year. The name Bistro 82 implies giving birth to my vision for this property.”

The property will have a Class C liquor license with dancing on the second floor in Sabrage, though Belen said dancing will take place in Bistro 82 only during “corporate buyouts and charitable events.”

“We want this restaurant to be unique,” he said. “We are building a second-floor garden terrace and we’ll have a large shark tank with a DJ booth above it/built into it on the second floor at Sabrage. Features like this just aren’t seen in the region.”

Belen said the two-story restaurant expects to employ about 75 people, and, when considering the current construction phase, he said upward to 150 people will be employed.

“We are hiring local companies to do the construction — keeping our dollars in Michigan,” he said. “That’s important to me.”

Though the construction phase is ongoing, Belen said he is excited about the group he has put together for the new concepts.

“I have reached out to many vendors who I have done business with in the past,” he noted. “We wanted to go after the big vendors for cross marketing purposes — to help grow our brands through partnership.”

For example, Ciot Detroit, a North American tile, marble and granite manufacturer, will provide the Italian and Spanish flooring at Bistro 82 and Sabrage. “They have access to amazing materials which will provide a stunning look and feel for our spaces,” Belen said.

The group is working with IntelliTech Systems, a leader in audio/video entertainment systems in the Midwest, and Harman Co., a California-based conglomerate in audio and video. Both will provide Belen’s property with a unique audio/visual system not experienced before in a Michigan restaurant.

“Harman’s lead audio engineer designed our system,” Belen noted. He also designed sound systems for the Beijing Olympics, the Grammy’s, and even Spartan Stadium (in East Lansing).

“My focus for sound was to create a system that was well-balanced and well-tuned,” he continued. “I feel many systems in other restaurants and clubs have either too much bass or are too loud and distorted.”

Despite being just 30 years old, Belen has worked hard since his teenage years to become educated in his passion. He grew up in West Bloomfield and went to the East Coast for college before returning back home in 2005.

“I went to school and have been involved in commercial real estate since I was 18,” he said. “I went to school in Hartford (Conn.) to get my business degree, but made extra money by putting on events and parties. When I moved back in 2005, I was involved in other entrepreneurial real estate transactions before Michigan went into a recession.”

At age 23, Belen switched gears to become an equity partner in the Hamilton Room and Quattro, which were in the former City Cellar and Blue Martini spaces in Birmingham.

“That really was my steppingstone since I became the youngest person ever approved for a Class C liquor license in Birmingham,” he said.

Belen was then “involved” in 5th Avenue bar in Royal Oak, but said he sold out his interests in December to launch his idea for Bistro 82 and Sabrage.

“I just felt it was time to do my own thing,” he said. “The Sangria property was on the market for a while and I was looking for a location like this.”

Now, with construction full speed ahead, Belen said his investment in the city of Royal Oak will ultimately pay off.

“I am not saying we are better, but we are different,” he said. “I am investing a lot of my money to bring in the best and brightest people into the project. Things are changing in Michigan and I want to be part of it.”

Belen said he has assembled a “talented group” at Bistro 82, including Scott Sadoff, director of operations who is from Ocean Prime and PF Chang’s; and Chef Derik Watson, who is a former chef at Iridescence at Motor City Casino and Tribute.

The assistant manager is Matthew Hollander, formerly of Tallulah in Birmingham, while the general manager for the nightlife component is Don Perez, formerly of Amnesia.

“I wanted to take make sure this concept was thought through — I didn’t want to rush it,” he said. “The goal is to be a multi-unit hospitality company made up of nightlife venues and restaurants. I am a developer at heart.”

“Our target opening date is in early September,” he concluded. “We’ve had some delays, but the Royal Oak City (Commission) has been great. I think they appreciate my enthusiasm and how unique this project is. Only time will tell, but the City (Commission) appreciated a young entrepreneur making an investment in the city.”